End-gate for wagons.



CHARLES I). SMITH, 0F PARIS, ILLINOIS.

END-GATE FOR WAGONS.

Application filed December 8, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Edgar and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful EndGate for lVagons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to end gates for wagons and the like, one of the objects being to provide a simple and durable structure which can be placed in or removed from position readily and which has improved holding means whereby it will be held against collapsing or folding while in use and will also be secured to the opposed walls of the wagon body.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a wagon body having applied thereto a gate such as constitutes the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a rear portion of a wagon body and the gate therein.

Fig. 3 is a section on line AB Fig. 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the walls of a wagon body and to the inner side of each of these walls are fastened parallel spaced cleats 2 forming a channel 3 therebetween. To the rear cleats at one side of the wagon body is secured a bracket 1 having a downwardly extending offset lower terminal or tongue 5 spaced from the cleats.

Secured to the rear cleat at the other side of the wagon body is a bracket'G having a tongue 7 extending upwardly therefrom and spaced from the cleat. The two tongues 5 and 7 are disposed in substantially horizontal alinement but are oppositely disposed, the terminals of the tongues being beveled as shown at 8.

Secured to one of the cleats directly above Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Serial No. 65,723.

I by grasping the finger piece 12.

The end gate is made upof two sections 13 connected by hinges 14, those ends of the sections remote from the hinges 14: being insertible into the channels 8. To facilitate such insertion the forward corners of the insertible ends are rounded or beveled as shown at 15. Reinforcing cleats 16 may be secured to the rear faces of the sections 13 at the inner edges thereof so as to abut when the said sections are in alinement. Secured to the rear face of one of these cleats 16 is an attaching plate 17 having a pivot stud 18 extending therefrom and also provided with stop cars 19 and 20 located one above the other at one side of the plate. Mounted on the'stud 18 is a locking bar 21, provided, at its ends, with rearwardly extending ears 22 adapted, when the bar is in its securing position, to engage the tongues 5 and 7, thus to hold the sides of the wagon body against spreading and likewise to prevent the end gate 13 from collapsing or folding about its hinges 14. As the free ends of the tongues 5 and 7 are beveled, it will be obvious that when the ears 22 engage said bevel ends they will cooperate therewith to draw the sides 1 toward each other and against the ends of the gate 13. As the bar 21 extends between the tongues 5 and 7 and the end gate, it will be obvious that the tongues will constitute means for holding the end gate against folding. When the bar 21 is in locking position the latch 10 will hold it against displacement, upward movementof that end of the bar engaging tongue 7 being limited by the bar coming against the latch. Before the end gate can be removed it is necessary for the latch 10 to be swung rearwardly out of the path of the bar 21. This bar can then be swung about the stud 18' as a pivot until the ears 22 have become disengaged from the tongues 5 and 7. The gate can then be withdrawn rearwardly, the two sections of the gate swinging toward each other about their hinges 14 so that the outer edges of the sections will be withdrawn from the channels 3. The swinging movement of bar 21 is limited by the stop ears 19 and 20.

Although the improvements have been shown applied to an end gate made up of hingedly connected sections, it is to be understood that these improvements can, if desired, be applied to a one piece end gate of that type adapted to be slid into or out of position.

hat is claimed is The combination with a vehicle body having oppositely extending retaining tongues secured to the opposed walls thereof, of an end gate including hingedly connected sections, an attaching plate secured to one of the sections adjacent the hinge thereof, a stud outstanding from the plate, upper and lower stop ears extending from the plate adjacent one edge thereof, a locking bar pivotally mounted on the stud and limited in its swinging movement by the stop ears, ears extending at right angles from the ends of the bar and adapted to move simultaneously into engagement with the respective retaining tongues, the free ends of the tongues being beveled to deflect the ears into engagement therewith, and a gravity latch for engaging one end of the bar to hold the bar against movement while in en gagement with the tongues.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES D. SMITH.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. VAN DYKE, EDWIN JAGGERS.

Cooler of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C." 

